Honestly, how thick is this hair, chain mail? Good shears should handle it. Either your tool is garbage or your technique needs work, forcing it through instead of taking smaller sections.

Precision tools ruin you for guesswork. After using a caliper to set brake pads, eyeballing it just leads to constant rubbing. I had to redo my front brakes three times before I gave up and borrowed one. Now I check clearances with a caliper every time. Life is too short for squeaky brakes.